Machine for applying caps to bottles.



PATENTED JULY 16, .1907.

S. W. BALCH. MACHINE FOR APPLYING CAPS T0 BOTTLES.

APPLICATION IILBIJ SEPT. 2.1904

in." 4 Hula-H? Invenlor,

Witne s ses:

No.'860,51'3. .PATENTBD JULY 16, 1907`4 S. W. BALCH.

MACHINE POR APPLYING CAPS T0 BOTTLES.- APPLICATION FILED s3PT.'2.19o4.

g SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Juventa@ www# `Witnesses= UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFIOE.

SAMUEL w. BALGH, oF MONTOL'AIR, NEW JERSEY, AssIGNOR To FREDERICK RECHT,v 0F Y BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. i

MACHINE FOR APPLYING CAPSiT BOTTLEnS.

To all it may concern:

Beit known that l, SAMUEL W. BALCH, a'citizen of the 'United States of America, and a resident of Montl clair, in the jcounty of Essex and State of New Jersey,` have, invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Machines for Applying Caps to Bottles, of which the iollowing is a specification. `This inventionrelates to the construction of a machine forapplying caps to bottles .wherein an essential part'of the operation consists in placing the capand bottle between a pressureLapplying head and table, and bringing lthis two toward eachother in the direction of theaxis o f the bottle with considerable force for the v purpoe'eo effectingone or more of the operations inand bottle. Hence, but little force is required to lift the ,tableandbottle in 'taking up the clearance, but

attheextreme end of the movement great force is required for a comparatively short distance .of movement.

' A means of Ipower transmission is therefore desirable in vwhich-the mechanical advantage of transmission jmechanism between the source of power and the table 'of the machine. varies through wide limits and is very great atthe ,endofn its movement. For this purpose a toggle` is provided and so arranged that the links of the `4 j toggle will be brought into substantially a right line under the table' when the limit of movement is reached.

Inpractical operation of sucha machine it is neces- A to cap bottles which vary slightly in length without special adjustment or each bottle, and one object of' my invention is .to enable this .tobe done. lt is also `desirable that the toggle links should be brought sub stantially into line in order that the machine may exert the required power irrespective of the ordinary variation in bottle lengths. One object of my invention is therefore to provide an elastic abutment for the toggle lengths will be compensated for at this abutment. By

' ris in theaxis ofthe machine and considerable saving' so.v that whatever variation there may` be in. bottle so` locating this abutment the springs comprising it can be disposed at the sides of other mechanism which effectedM in the required length for the machine.

In the accompanying two sheets oi drawings; which form a part of this application Figure 1 isa 'front elefvation, drawn to a reduced scale, of a foot-powerma I and a bottle is shown on the table.

chine embodying my invention, in which a cap is shown in dotted lines in the pressure-applying head Fig. 2 is aside elevatio'n of the machine with the pressure-applying head and table in section along the axialaline of the machine,l

/ and the base of the machine in section on the line Specification of Letters Patent. Application tiled September 2, 1904- Berial No. 223,058.

Patented July 1o, 1907.

II-II of Figs. 1 and 4, withl a capped bottle -on the table. Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation' showing the operating mechanism in the position to which it is brought in applying'the cap to the bottle.- Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line lV-IV lof Fig: 2 showing the bass of themachine. l

'This invention is illustrated in connection with'a machine which has -been particularly devised flor ap plying a bottle-sealingcap C, such as are set forth in United States Letters-Patent to Frederick Recht,` No. 646,627, dated April 3,1900,to a bottle B with aniout-` `wardlyprojecting lip around thefmouth thereof. g

A column 1 has a orwardly projecting arm 2' which-` carries a pressure-applying or machine head 3, suit-p Aably constructed to act upon the `cap, apply it to the mouth o-the bottle,c9i;npress the sealing disk4 be-A tween the cap andf-/bottle-mouth, and effect a lock-g ing engagement between the cap and bottle upon the application' of pressure in the direction of the bottle axis x-qz between the pressure-applying headI and a table 4 which underlies the bottle in the axis o the machine. The table surmounts a two-part shank,l one part 5 'of which is a part of the table casting, and

the other part 6` of which is threaded or.screwed therein.

By screwing the one part on the other, the height of the tabletmay be adjusted to suit different lengths of'Y bottles. The two-part shank is guided by arms4 .7 8, which project from the column. p The actuating' mechanism consists of a oot-treadle 9 which is ,iulcrumed at 10 to lugs cast on the underside of the base `ofy the machine. Midway o the treadle is a mortise in which the lower end o a link T11-is pinned. The upper end of this link is pinned to the forked arm,1'2 of a `bent lever. The ulcruni of this bent lever is a pin v13,"the l ends of which rest on two pillow-blocks 14. The pillow-blocks are supported by springs 15, and lie in two vertical spring-pockets 1 6`which are cast in the base of the column. The pockets lie on opposite sides of the bent lever and the axis of the machine. .y The springsare strongly compressed and normally force' `the pillow-blocks against tlie tops of the pockets by which they are held under an initialstrain when the mechanism isrotherwise relaxed. The other arm 17 o f the bent lever, also forked, ha s pinned thereto the lower end of a l'nk 18, the upper end of which is pinned to the lower part of the shank of the table. This arm and link form a toggle which is straightened under the table by the depression of the treadle. The springs serve as an elastic abutment for the toggle which yields when the toggle is straightened toallow for slight variations in the height of bottles from the height for whichthe table may have' been adjusted'. v ,Depression ofthe treadle with a capandbottle in place lifts the table and forces the cap and bottle against the prcesare-applying head and thereby .compresses the sealing disk ofthe cap between `the cap and bottlernouth and then bends the bead inwardlyby a vcontinuation ofthe axial movement and pressure applied to the bead o the cap by'an annular bearing face '19: -iormed in the pressure-applying head and against which the-bead of the cap rests. v g

The construction of the pressure-applyinghead is not specifically claimed herein by me as I concede this featurev to'be "the invention of Frederick Recht, who executes an'application for patent on this feature,

` of even date with the date of execution of this application, which was filed September 2, 1904, and received'Sr. No. 223,088,` and in the claims herein made by me I do not limit lmyself to any'particular form of pressure-applying head, or conditionthat it shall perform both of the functions hereinrrecited of forcing the cap into sealing engagement and bending Vthe beadV vthe lower end ofthe toggle and theframe o'f the machine,v

and means for operating the t0gg1e,'substantially as clescribed.v l

In a bott1eseaiing machine, the combination of a pressure-applying head, a table for supporting the bottle, a' toggle for lifting thev table, an elastic abutment between the lower end of the toggle and the frame of the machine,

meansY for holding the .elastic element of theabu'tment under initial strain, and means'foroperatin'g the toggle, substantially as described.

3.. In abottle-sealing machine, the combination of a pressure-applying head, a. table for supporting the bottle, a toggle for lifting the table, a pair of compression springs disposed on opposite sides of' the line of actiomofthe toggie, and serving as an abutment therefor,'and means for operating the etoggle, substantially as described.'

4. In` a hottie-sealing machine, the combination of a' pressure-applying lead, a table for supporting the bottle, toggle links for lifting the table, one of which is an arm of a bent lever, an elastic abutment for the fulcrum of the bent lever, andva treadle and link connection for operating the bent lever,u substantially as described.

` 5. In a bottle-sealing machine, the combination of a pressure-applying head, a table for supporting'. the bottle, toggle links for lifting the table, one of which is an arm of abent lever, an elastic abutment for the lfulcrum of the bent lever, means for holding the elastic Aelement of the abutment under initial strain, and a `treadle4 and link `connection fer operating the bent lever, substantially as de'- scribed, i

6. In a bottlelse'aling machine, the combination of ka pressure-applyinghead, a table for supporting the bottle, toggle links for lifting the table one of which is an arm'of a bent lever, a pair ot compression springs disposed on opposite sides of the line of action Voi the toggle and serving as an abutment therefor, anda treadle and. link connection for operating-the bent'lever, substantially as described.

Signed by me'at New York city, borough of Manhattan' on the 26th day of August, 1904.

SAMUEL W. BLCH.

Witnesses z FREDERICK RECHT, j OSCAR H. GoonnLr. 

